Suit Claims Faulty Work Done at Arena

November 1, 2013

Wheeling leaders allege faulty work led to flooding damage inside WesBanco Arena in 2011 in a lawsuit filed against three companies in Ohio County Circuit Court earlier this month.

The suit filed by the Greater Wheeling Sports and Entertainment Authority, which operates the downtown venue, names H.E. Neumann of Triadelphia, Baltimore Aircoil of Jessup, Md., and Constellation Energy Group of Baltimore as defendants. Those companies performed work on a chiller system at the arena that reportedly failed on Oct. 26, 2011, causing an unspecified amount of water damage to the building.

According to the arena managers, a float control arm was improperly attached to a water valve, making the connection incapable of withstanding "normal stresses of reasonable use."

Constellation Energy Group was the general contractor for the project, H.E. Neumann was the installer and Baltimore Aircoil manufactured the allegedly defective component.

The suit alleges breach of warranty and negligent supervision against Constellation Energy and negligence against H.E. Neumann.

Officials with the companies could not be reached Thursday for comment.

The city's insurance company paid for repairs, but it is suing to recover its deductible expenses as well as reimburse its insurance company for the loss it claims the three companies should have borne in the first place. The suit seeks an unspecified amount of relief for repair expenses, property damage and "lost profits, if any."

Clarksburg, W.Va., attorney Charles Steele is representing the authority in the case.